The Way Things Were
by TheSunRises
Summary: A shadow fell across the stone statue of the heroic wolf, Shiranui. The tall man to whom the shadow belonged ran a pale hand over the statue's back. "Ma cherie…" Waka talks about his life on the Celestial Plain and his relationship with Amaterasu from the time he arrived to Orichi's attack. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Okami characters.
1. Chapter 1

A shadow fell across the stone statue of the heroic wolf, Shiranui. Though the wolf's name was not actually Shiranui, in fact the wolf wasn't really a wolf at all. Unknown to the villagers, the brave "wolf" who had fought alongside Nagi less than a month ago was really the great goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. The tall man to whom the shadow belonged ran a pale hand over the statue's back. "Ma cherie… " he breathed, fearful that anything louder would cause his voice to break and his composure along with it. "It took moi nearly a moon to visit, désolé. Waka removed his wing headdress, revealing his long, golden locks to the almost full moon. "Amaterasu… you are such a kind soul. You waited so long, gave your life to protect this little village." He muttered mournfully, settling himself at the statue's base. "If only I had kno- if only I had heeded my own visions, perhaps… you would have- your kindness would not have been-" the blonde's voice began to quiver. Taking a deep, steading breath he started again. "You showed me the same such kindness the first time we meet, do you remember?"

Black

That was all that existed

Oppressive darkness

Cold steel

And pain…

"Aider moi…" the small blonde child called out weakly. Pain like he had never felt before pulsated through his leg, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

Oh how he wished he would slip back into blissful unconsciousness, the pain was unbearable. _Let it be over, make it stop; make it stop… _the boy pleaded. Something pushed on him from above, crushing his small chest into the floor, causing his breaths to come in short, strangled gasps. Just when he thought he could take no more he heard it, gentle, cautious footsteps. "S'il vous plaît aidez-moi…" he called, it came out as a strangled whimper. The footsteps paused, and then started again, quicker and increasing in volume. The last thing the boy heard was a horrified gasp before he was swept into sweet nothingness.

The young Waka awoke with a start, blonde bangs stuck to his sweaty forehead. Scenes from his dream, images of his people torn apart and lying in crimson pools, danced across his cyan eyes while there terrible screams still rang in his ears. He gasped for breath to steady himself. He lay back against the pillows of this unfamiliar bed. As he stared up at the ceiling, numb realization washed over him. Those horrible scenes were not just simply from his exhausted mind, they were his reality, the tragic circumstance that had brought him to this alien place. Speaking of which, where exactly was he? Waka glanced around the room, taking everything in. The room was small and brightly lit, with pale yellow walls and tall windows with long white flowing curtains.

While he was comparing the bright, cheery room to the dark and gloomy monastery he had called his home the door opened. A woman who looked no older than her mid-twenties entered with her back to him, she seemed to be arguing with someone. "-now just run along and play sunbeam." "but-!" a younger voice replied. The woman moved from the door and made to close it behind her. But in the short moment between her movement and the closing of the door Waka's blue eyes locked with a pair of big amber ones. "Oh, you're awake." Waka tore his eyes from the door to face the other person in the room. He immediately noted that she had the same pair of mysterious gold eyes, albeit older looking ones. Her pale face was framed by long, straight white hair. Her most startling features were the crimson markings that decorated her face. She perched herself on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling little one?" Waka racked his brain, attempting to identify her tongue; to his great shock he noted that she spoke the language of the gods. He quickly scraped together his limited knowledge of the language to form an answer. "I 'ave- been better…" he mumbled, his thick lunar accent causing him to trip over his words. The woman smiled softly. "Well I guess it can't be help after what you've been through; you were in such a poor state when we found you." She brushed some hair behind her ear. "My name is Nurigami, what's yours?" "Waka" "Well Waka, would it be alright if I check your bandages?" the boy nodded timidly. While she was working a question floated across his mind. "Um, excusez-moi, when you found me-did you 'appen to find ma flute?" "Hum? A flute? No I don't think we found any flute, my apologizes." He was going to ask about the person she was arguing with but thought it better not to push his luck. After Nurigami changed his bandages she gave him some water than left him to sleep.

Sometime later the blonde was none-too-gently awoken by rapid knocking coming from the door. "Little one? Are you awake?" the voice belonged to Nurigami. "Oui, I am awake." He replied. The door opened and Nurigami entered, followed by three other figures: two older men and a small girl. The older of the two men had shoulder length white hair that was pulled away from his face. Lines around his gold eyes hinted at his age, late thirties most likely. The other man's hair was short and styled into a mohawk, the ends of which were scarlet. His features were very pointed and his eyes, gold like the rest, held the same keenness as a bird of prey. Waka's eyes went wide, but only for a moment, when he turned his attention on the little girl. For an instant he had mistaken her eyes as the mysterious pair from earlier. But alas, that was not the case. No this girls eyes were heavier lidded and a darker, an almost-brown shade of gold. The tips of her silvery hair barely brushed her jawline and she had a small braid just below…. a pair of fluffy rabbit ears? Interesting… Her height implied that she was about his age, seven maybe. The older man introduced himself as Yomigami, the mohawked man as Moigami, and the rabbit girl as Yumigami. That name caught Waka's attention, as it was the name of the moon goddess, the mother god of his people. She was the only god he knew anything about and even that knowledge was limited. "So Yumi?" Yomigami asked. The little moon goddess stared at Waka; the blonde was starting to wonder what was going on. "Is he one of yours or not?" Moigami snapped. The girl continued to gaze at Waka, it was becoming unnerving. "Yes, yes he's a child of the lunar realm." Yumigami said in an airy voice, dark gold eyes still locked on him. "So, will his people send a group to retrieve him and that ship? They'll want their technology back." Moigami inquired, arms folded over his chest. "No one will come." Yumi responded, in the same distant tone. Waka felt dread rising in his chest, along with sorrow; he knew the reason no one would come for him, but he didn't want to hear it, hearing it would make it true. Yomigami's brow furrowed "Why do you say that?" the small child simply shrugged "Because the Lunar Empire has fallen. This boy is the last of his people."

"Your sister was none too gentle with the news." The adult Waka commented to the stone wolf. "Then again she has always been a bit… cold, pardon my saying so. Her head is always a million miles away." Silence fell as the young man reminisced. "It is not so hard to tell that you two are sun and moon, you act so differently. Especially when we first spoke, remember?"

The young boy sat on a large tree root the protruded from the earth, gazing absentmindedly across the water of the crystal clear lake before him. Behind him he could hear the playful shouts of the child gods playing in a nearby field. He had been released from the confines of his room three weeks ago with the permission to stay as long as he remained on this side of the mountain range that cut through the middle of the floating island. But even after three weeks the other children had yet to include him. Sighing, he dropped the twig he had been twirling between his fingers and instead fiddled with the end of the white robe he had been provided seeing as his clothes were damaged beyond repair.

Suddenly, Waka was launched from his seat on the exposed root by something heavy ramming into him from behind. Pushing his face out of the dirt he turned to face the culprit behind his tumble. Perched upon the root he had been a moment ago was a puppy with brilliantly white fur. No, wait, it wasn't a dog it was a wolf cub that, oddly enough, had crimson patterns on its fur and….his flute! The pup was holding it in its jaws. Waka slowly got onto his knees and inched toward the wolf, hoping it was friendly. Closer and closer he inched, intent on obtaining his prized instrument. "Nice pup, good pup, drop the flute please" he extended his hand carefully towards the flute in the cub's mouth. Before he could reach his prize there was a blinding flash of light. Waka fell back on his rear, covering his eyes from the intense light.

When the light had subsided the blond removed his arm from his face. The wolf was nowhere to be found, in its place sat a small girl. She was pale, but not in a sickly way, her skin resembled that of a porcelain doll and seemed to glow with light and power. Markings similar to the other god adorned her face, but hers were more decorative and complex. She had a perfectly round face with delicate features and long, pearly-white hair that fell past her shoulders. Bangs, not unlike his, hung in her gold eyes. Waka sucked in breath. Her eyes, they were the pair he had seen the day he had arrived. They were like two amber stones; big, gold eyes that glowed with a heavenly fire. Even being so young, Waka knew that this girl was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

The mysterious girl stared at him, fluffy white wolf ears upon her crown twitching slightly. She spit out the flute she had be holding in her mouth in front of him. This led him to assume that the wolf and the girl were one in the same. "Merci" he said, snatching up the wood instrument from the ground. The girls face broke out in a huge smile, sharp canines flashing. "You do talk funny!" she chirped in the most lovely voice to ever exist "Say something else!" completely confused by what was going on he didn't know what to say. The beautiful girl hopped off the root and settled herself in front of him. "My name's Amaterasu, what's yours?" "My name – is Waka" he mumbled shyly, again tripping over his heavy accent. The girl, Amaterasu, smiled. "I like you Waka, in fact, you're going to be my new friend!" the lunar boy blinked twice "Huhhh?" Amaterasu grabbed his hand "come on lets go play!" she began dragging his towards the group of laughing children. "Whahhhhh?!"


	2. Chapter 2

"S-sun goddess?!" the young boy stared at his female companion, cyan eyes wide. Amaterasu simply nodded, not taking her eyes off the crown of flowers she was weaving together. Waka couldn't believe it. He narrowed his eyes at the silver haired girl. She could be lying, in all honesty it wouldn't be the first time she had tried to trick him. "Are you telling the truth?" the eight year old asked. Amaterasu turned her gold eyes towards him, smiling. "I am. And I can prove it too." Setting down the ring of flowers in her lap the girl pulled out a paintbrush. A long one made of white wood and fine white bristles. She proceeded to draw a moderately sized circle in the air with it. There was a flash of green sparkles, than a ring of flowers materialized; Amaterasu caught it before it hit the ground. Waka stared in amazement. Giggling at her friends bewildered expression she crammed the crown onto his head. "Told ya so"

She proceeded to explain to him about her siblings, the brush gods, and their powers. "Maybe, I could teach you." she finished. The blond blinked "Could you really?" "Sure, let's go fined a brush and bloom some flowers!" Completely abandoning her first floral crown, Amaterasu grabbed her companion's hand and the two set out in search of a brush.

* * *

"Light in heaven, you grow like a weed." The sheep goddess ,Kasegami, remarked. Little Waka trailed behind the twenty year old through the rows of cloth. Her fluffy white hair could barely be seen, even as she wove her way through the shortest shelves, disappearing completely for a few seconds when she tripped over the hem of her long robe. Kasegami pulled out a role of tan fabric "What do you think about this little one?" he stared at it for a moment "Could it – maybe be pink?" Waka asked, accent still prominent after three and a half months on the Celestial Plain. Kasegami smiled at the small boy. "Of course darling, is there anything else we should add?" "Some- purple trousers too?" Kasegami giggled as she pulled out the requested colors of cloth. She set these down on the work table, then handed a scroll and writing utensils to the little boy. "Here, why don't you draw what you want it to look like."

A few hours later Waka was standing in front of a mirror, admiring his new outfit. A pink tunic with a large puffball on the front; the sleeves of which stopped just above his wrist and were hemmed with a darker shade of pink. The collar was fitted to prevent his shoulder length gold hair from being caught in it. The pants fell above his knees, purple in color and held up by a white belt. Yes, this felt right. He had felt so out of place in his previous clothes yet somehow these felt comforting. "I like it." The boy stated. "We should teach you how to sew, you have so many wonderful ideas." Kasegami commented. Waka turned towards her "Would you really?" "Of course."

* * *

Ten year old Waka watched Amaterasu stumble after her older brother as the two ran thought the tall grass. "Wait up Kaze!" the young girl called as she tried desperately to keep up with the 'fast as wind' horse god. Evening was just starting to fall over the heavenly island and Waka, who had no desire to join in the siblings chase, watched from his perch in a nearby tree. A rustling in the branches above him made him look up. Three young boys swung on the creaking limb above his, each with a wicked grin on their faces. They were Sakegami, Hasagami, and Tsutagami, the troublesome Hanagami triplets. Sakegami dropped onto his branch, causing it to shake violently. "Hey Waky, what's up?" the young monkey god asked. The luner boy gave him a wary look "Nothing…" "Ya wanna play a game?" "What kind of game?" Hasagami, who was hanging by his knees from the branch above, chucked. "Hehe, smart kid. Don't worry it's just a little race." "A race to the top of this here tree." Sakegami added. "….Sure…" Waka accepted the challenge. The triplets hollered with excitement. "Well come, last one to the top is an ugly demon." Sakegami than leapt from his crouched position next to the blond, launching himself to the branch above them with ease. They three of them were off before Waka even got to his feet, swinging and jumping from branch to branch. Not wanting to be last, Waka jumped and barely managed to grip the smooth limb above him by his fingertips. He pulled himself up quickly than scrambled for the branch. The process was slow and strenuous but the boy was able to keep the flora gods in sight. As he paused to catch his breath he studied the movements the older children as the ascended the tree with ease. Determined to catch the triplets Waka tried to mimic their movements. Bunching up the muscles in his slender legs, Waka leapt as high as he could and grabbed hold of branch. Once his slim fingers had gained hold of it he swung himself towards another, using his momentum to his advantage. With this new approach climbing became much easier and he was at the top where the young gods were waiting in no time. "You're so slow Waky" Sakegami taunted. "I will beat- you guys one- day" the blond huffed. "Sure ya will squirt."

* * *

The twelve year old held his breath before knocking twice on the tall, white wood door, the hollow sound magnified by the emptiness of the long marble hallway with its cavernous ceiling. "Enter" the deep, authoritative voice of Yomigami called from the other side. The young boy pushed the heavy door open into a small comfortably furnished room were Amaterasu's three eldest siblings, Yomigami, Moegami, and the bull god Itegami, lounged on cushions. Waka lingered at the entrance, unsure if he was to sit or not. "You, uh, asked to see me." The three men straighten up, all attention now on him. "The vessel you crashed in, you remember yes?" Yomigami asked. Waka nodded "Do you recall what it's propose was?" "It was- a transportation ship. It is meant to descend to the land below, we had placed much technology down there in the event that-" the child took a calming breath. "That a similar event to the one that which happened were to occur. We used it as a means to escape the tragedy that befell us." The men exchanged looks. "So, it is an escape craft" Moegami inquired. "Oui" "Then it's decided. Waka, we would like to request that you repair this vessel, if it's within your ability." Waka's eyes widened in surprise. "Oui, oui, I could do it, but, may I ask why you want the ship fixed." "Though we do not agree with the ideology of your people we see the practicality in the technology. The day may arise that we need such a vessel, and we wish to be prepared." Yomigami stated. "You will begin the work immediately yes?" Waka nodded swiftly. "Good, you may go now." The boy rushed from the room to find his goddess friend.

* * *

"So many innocents died because of my actions." The adult Waka muttered, more to himself than to the statue. "Even as a child I should have realized the true nature of the ark." He let out a heavy sigh, as heavy as the burdens he bore. The sky to the east was tinted a slight pink. "I must leave for now mon amor. I promise to return, next time with happier memories to recount." Waka stood and peck the stone wolf's head. "Au revoir baby" with that the young man disappeared in a shower of sparkles.

* * *

So yeah chapter two is a little boring :P It mostly just explains things that happened during the actual game and sent up some things for later chapters. Please leave a comment telling me what you thought of it and if you really like this story you should follow it, I updated it once a week.


	3. Chapter 3

The moon was high in the sky over Kamiki when the dark figure landed beside the sacred tree. "Good evening ma cherie." Waka said, striding over to statue of the goddess and seating himself at its base. "My apologizes for the extent of time between my visits, but you'll be happy to hear that I have keep myself busy. I've setup my own little group in the capital city, sworn to the service of the king and queen. But enough about that, I believe I was telling a story."

* * *

The blond youth picked at his excessively long hair in the mirror. His face was scrunched up in the most unattractive way as he glowered at his reflection. The pre-teen was clad in sleeveless pink top with a single puffball on the front. Its ends were tucked into a pair of purple shorts that were fastened to his waist by a white belt. But the cloths were not the issue; it was his long golden hair that brushed past his elbows. Though his hair was at an annoying and almost feminine length Waka didn't have the heart to cut it. Sighing, the boy tore his gaze away from the mirror. He turned to clean off his work space from the scraps of pink and purple fabric left over from constructing the new clothes. As he was disposing of the execs material, the head of his closest friend popped up in the window opposite the work table. "Hey Waka, what's going on?" the young goddess asked, hosting herself up to sit on the windows ledge. Waka glanced over at the girl as he continued to tidy up. "Not much, mon amine. I'm simply tidying up from my work. As he straightened up he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror once more and a disgruntled look crossed his fair features. This did not go unnoticed by the goddess. "What's that look for?" Shaking his head, Waka crossed the small room and hopped up onto the ledge beside his friend. "It is my hair. It's so long I can hardly stand it but I cannot bring myself to cut it. I should simply chop it short like your brothers do." Amaterasu rolled her eyes at this. "But your hair is so beautiful, it'd be a shame to cut it all off." She began twirling the ends of his golden hair. The boy let out a huff of air through his nose. "It is such a pain to maintain, and it makes me look even more feminine…" Waka was teased about looking like a girl constantly by the flora gods. He was tall and thin, physic not yet altered by puberty so his shoulders were still rather narrow. His facial features were very fine and dainty, as was common among his people, and were made even more pronounced by his long, straight, blond hair. "So? I think it looks nice on you. Done!" This snapped Waka out of sullen thoughts. His hands immediately went to his head, long fingers grasping at his now braided hair. "See? If your hair was short I wouldn't be able to braid it." Amaterasu giggled "Now you REALLY look like a girl." "Horribles fille!" he shouted, whipping around to grab her but she had already leapt from her perch and was now sprinting away, laughing all the while. "Revenir ici vous petit diable!" he yelled as he raced after her, too enraged to translate.

* * *

Waka's red sandal clad feet pounded against the earth as he sprinted as fast as his long legs would go. "Merde" he panted as he ran "merde merde merde merde merde MERDE!" He was late, AGAIN, and this time he wasn't sure they would go easy on him. He nearly knocked over Kasegami as he ran. "Désolé!" he shouted but didn't stop or even turn to see if the mist goddess was alright. He raced across the open plain and slowly his destination came into view, two figures standing in a dirt arena. "Wait! Wait! I'm here! Wait!" Waka skidded to a halt in the small arena than doubled over, out of breath. He glanced over at Amaterasu who was trying (And failing miserably) not to laugh. "And where were you?" the rumbling voice of Gekigami inquired. The young boy glanced up at the lightning god. He was tall and well-built with lightning bolt shaped crimson markings. He was wearing fitted, sleeveless black shirt and puffy white pants. His short white hair was spiked up. The tiger god's bright gold eyes hinted Waka to his displeasure. The lunar boy hastily straightened up "I was- studying, in the library and I lost track of time." Gekigami shock his head "Same problem, different excuse." He thrust a sword into Waka grasp. "Get in your positions for sparing." Waka sent a pleading look at his friend who simply shot him a cheeky smile.

"That's a far run might I remind you." The adult Waka commented. "Almost the length of the entire island. To be honest, I fell I got all the exercise I needed that day." There was an extended pause before Waka remembered he was talking to a statue that wouldn't give him an unamused look for that pathetic excuse for a "joke". "*Ahem* Anyway…."

The fourteen year old faced the young goddess from across the arena, clenching his katana. Amaterasu was equipped with the large jade Blade of Kusanagi, the swirling sacred wind rolling over its surface. "Ready, set, begin!" Amaterasu made the first move, lunging forward with incredible speed. Waka side- stepped out of the way a moment before the blade sliced through his shirt. But the dodge had left him off balance and the girl used this to her advantage. She whipped out her brush and slashed the air. Waka felt the surge of energy hit him in the chest, not hard enough to cut into his flesh but it was certainly strong enough to knock the air out of him. He barely had the chance to catch his breath when the goddess lunged at him again. Waka leapt up onto the absurdly large blade of the sword as it swung at him and ran up its length in two bounds. At the hilt he sprang into the air and flipped over the goddess, who had been left stunned by his less than conventional tactic. He used the lowered defense of his opponent to his advantage, slashing her back the moment his feet touched the sand of the arena. The blade slashed through Amaterasu's dress leaving a thin line of dark red on her pale skin, she cringed away from the biting steel of the blade. The goddess swung around, smacking Waka in the side of the face with the broad side of her sword. Dazed, the young boy staggered to the side. Amaterasu advanced on him, swinging her blade in quick skilled movements that kept him on the defensive. While hopping about, looking like a fool, he had come up with a move; all he needed now was an opening. The sliver haired girl's combo ended and Waka got his chance to attack. He charged forward, swinging the katana as him spun and leapt about. The randomness of the tactic had left her off guard and Waka managed to land three square hits before Amaterasu moved out of the way. But due to his momentum, the boy found himself unable to stop and when he did he was far too dizzy to plan another move. Moving quickly, the goddess got behind him and kicked him in the center of his back, sending him sprawling across the dirt where he did NOT make any attempt to get back to his feet. Over the ringing in his ears Waka could hear the thunderous voice of Gekegami say "Spar over, Amaterasu is the winner" blinking dirt out of his eyes he could see said winners legs sauntering over to him. "Still haven't beaten me yet hu?" he stuck his face into the dry earth "Just leave me here…" came his muffled reply. "Whatever you say blondie" there was a momentary coolness on his skin as her shadow passed across his face "Also, you owe me a new dress."

* * *

_Tack Tack Tack_

The distinct sound of something hard hitting the wall jostled Waka awake. As his luminescent blue eyes adjusted to the darkness he scanned his room for the source of the noise. It didn't take long; he spotted it as it flew through the window. The small, dark shape of a rock soared through the glassless opening and hit the wall above his head. Tracking its progress, Waka failed to notice the second, larger rock. "Ow!" the pebble smacked him in the side of his face. "Sorry!" a familiar voice whisper-called from outside. Tossing the sheets from himself, he swung his legs off the bed and made his way over to the window. Amaterasu was crouched in the tall blue-tinted grass in a lame attempt to conceal herself, which was proving ineffective seeing that her sliver hair practical glow in the pale moonlight. "Amaterasu? What are you doing?" he called quietly to her. Her lovely gold eyes shimmered with mischief in the darkness. "Come with me, I wanna show you something." With that, the young goddess turned and ran off towards the forest that circled the base of the mountain. Not wanting to be left behind, Waka hoisted himself through the opening after the sliver glow.

He followed her across the moon washed field and into the thin trees the made up the forest. He could only caught glimpses of Amaterasu as they weaved through the foliage. Eventually he lost sight of her completely. He paused "Amaterasu?" he called, not too loud; just loud enough to be hear within a few feet of himself. "Waka, over here." The voice was coming from his left. He pushed his way past the branches into a clearing with a small pond in the center. Amaterasu's head was bobbing in the center, hair soaked and wolf ears pointed happily in his direction. Waka also noted the white fabric of a dress hanging from a nearby branch.

The boy said a silent prayer to the moon goddess for the inky blackness of this particular night as it concealed the brilliant scarlet color his face no doubt was. Slapping a hand over his eyes he began to shout "What in heaven are you doing!" "Swimming" the goddess replied, without a hint of embarrassment. "Come on, what are you waiting for. The water's great." Waka was honestly shocked at the girl's genuine obliviousness to the situation she had just put them in. "I can't do that!" Waka protested, peaking though his fingers. Amaterasu had a very confused expression on her face. "Why not?" Did she really not understand? "B-because that would be improper!" Her expression was blank and innocent. "I don't get it but whatever, you don't have to swim if you don't want too" with that she submerged herself under the glassy surface of the pond.

She swam about for a while, splashing and gliding though the water. Waka had settled himself near the edge of the pond. He had slowly become more comfortable with the situation and had even removed his shoes to dip his toes in the water. As he sat there he watched her ('Not in a creepy way' he assured himself) and pondered her open nature. Honestly it was a refreshing change from the conservatism of his long desecrated home. He couldn't help but admire this quality in her. Still …. That didn't mean he was going in the water…

* * *

Waka bit the thin, silvery thread in half and tied it off. "Finished!" he stated, holding up his latest masterpiece with a satisfied smirk. It was for the goddess, shimmery sheets of white and red flowing silk woven together to form a dress. It was meant to fall off her shoulders and it was long enough that it would sweep the ground when she'd walk. Kasegami looked up for her mending and smiled. "It's lovely, but I think you'll be hard pressed to get her to wear it." She sighed, exasperated at her sister's lack of feminism no doubt. "But, you never know. You mind as well take it to her and see. Who knows, maybe she'll wear it if it's from you." With that, she returned to her work. So, upon the mist goddess' advice, the blond youth made his way to the towering, marble Sun Temple. The moment he entered the cavernous entryway, Waka was nearly bowled over by a white blur. Said blur was now clinging to the sixteen year's back. "Waka, oh thank myself" this was a phrase she had picked up on recently, she found it hilarious. "They're trying to wrap me up like sushi again." The 'they' she was referring to came flying, literally, around the corridor holding the mangled remains of a dress in her hand. Waka had seen Celestials before yet every time he was struck with awe. The young girl had pale golden skin and hair. The fine wisps of hair were styled in a short bob. Her eyes were the most brilliant shade of emerald green. From her temples sprouted magnificent golden wings that jostled the light fabric of her gown as they flapped. "Lady Amaterasu, there you are." The young goddess shrank behind Waka's back. "Please m'lady, you must get dressed. You cannot run around in your undergarments." The only response the goddess gave was burring her face deeper into her companions back. The Celestial girl sighed and hung her head. "Waka, I hate to impose upon you but, do you think you could help. She listens to you more than anyone else." The teen nodded curtly. "It's no problem" he grabbed the goddess' hand before she could protest and began dragging her towards her ready- room.

"Amaterasu come out from behind there." Waka called towards the shadow splayed against the paper of the divider, becoming more annoyed by the minute. "No! This dress is awful. I can't believe I let you talk me into it." The blond rubbed his forehead. "For the sake of the whole island, just please come out from back there." There was a low growl from the other side. "Fine…" She stepped out from behind the paper screen. As he had suspected, the dress fit her perfect. Everything about her was absolutely beautiful and radiant, except for that unbecoming grimace etched on her face. Waka beamed, reveling a row of perfectly straight, white teeth. "Why do you look so sour ma cherie? You look as dazzling as the morning sun." the girl ducked her head, but her bangs weren't able to cover the flustered blush that had come to her cheeks. Waka laughed, striding over and wrapping an arm around Amaterasu's shoulder. "Come along sunshine, let us show you off."

* * *

"That one there" Waka said, pointing a slender finger in the sky "That's _Verseau" _ he and the teenaged goddess lay on their backs, staring up at the inky sky dotted with glittering stars. Waka was pointing some out to her in his own language. "And there" he moved his hand to the west "That's le lièvre." "No, that's Yumi's constellation." Amaterasu interrupted. "If ever anything were to happen to me, my siblings would take refuge in their constellations until my return." A moment of comfortable silence hung over them in the cool midnight air

Suddenly, a flash of brilliant scarlet obscured his vision. He rocketed upright, obvious to his physical surroundings. A series of images darted through is mind: a large tree snapped in half by something thick and scaly, houses ablaze, a mob of people running past him in a blur of golds. The crying and shouting was almost defining. Two Celestial children huddled together, blinking up at him with huge, scared emerald eyes. The raging inferno outside caused flickers of red and orange to dance across their battered, dirty wings. His hand extended towards the little boy and girl _'Come with me.'_

The images dissipated from his vision and he rocked forward onto his knees, taking in a sharp breath that sounded like a wheeze. It took a minute for the ringing in his ears to stop, allowing his to hear the worried calls of his friend. She grabbed his shoulder and gave it a sharp shake "Waka!" he needed to catch his breath before he could answer. He had defiantly just had a prophecy. He had been studying in a monastery before the destruction of his tribe. He hadn't, for that reason, finished his training. This meant he was unable to control when he got them. He hadn't told anyone and had only recently confided his strange ability in his friend. "Waka, are you alright?" he glance over at her concern-filled eyes. He didn't want to worry her. "I'm fine, you know that my lack of experience causes my visions to come to me quite violently." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh really? What was it about?" her worry was replaced with excitement. "Uhhh…" he needed to think of something fast. "I saw you giving me your dumplings tomorrow." He flashed her a cheeky smile. Amaterasu rolled her amber eyes and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Haha, yeah right. Like I'd ever give up my food." The two lay back down but Waka couldn't push away the feeling of dread that had made a home in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

The fully grown Waka yawned, rubbing the purple bags under his eyes. "I would love to continue reminiscing with you ma cherie, but I have much work to attend to tomorrow." he leapt up and rode away on the next gust of wind.

* * *

What'd ya think? This chapter's quite a bit longer than the previous ones. Leave a review to tell me what you think

French translations:

Horribles fille!- horrible girl!

Revenir ici vous petit diable! - Come back here you little devil!

Merde - crap

Désolé! - sorry!

_Verseau - Aquarius_

_le lièvre- the hare_


	4. Chapter 4

ThumpThumpThumpThump

The sound of the young boy's fingertips tapping against the wood of the table was magnified tenfold by the massive size of the room. Waka fingers moved absentmindedly, creating the gentle rhythm while his blue eyes scanned the unfurled scroll before him. Across the dark tabletop strewn with scrolls of every kind sat the sun goddess, picking at her fingernails. After a long moment of silence aside from the rhythmic tapping, Amaterasu let out a long, exasperated sigh. When this did nothing to pull her companion's attention from his reading she sighed again, louder this time. The boy's eyes flicked up to her face; she looked bored out of her mind.

"Libraries not really your idea of fun, Ma cherie?" Waka inquired, returning to the scroll in front of him with a cocky smile.

The girl let her head slide from her hands until it made contact with the table. "This is so awful…"

Waka chucked "You did not have to come with me you know."

Amaterasu rolled her head to the side so she could see him. "Well what else was I supposed to do?"

Waka tucked a lock of blond hair behind his ear, which as of recently he had started wearing in a low ponytail, and thought how odd it was that they had become so dependent on each other for company. One rarely did anything without the other.

He shrugged "I suppose you're right. I just need another hour, or two."

The goddess slammed her head against the table with enough force to rattle the piles of scrolls.

* * *

Waka's cyan eyes followed the sliver haired goddess' progress from his perch. He waited for her to pass beneath the branch he was crouched on before hanging down in front of her by his knees, causing her to jump noticeable.

Waka gave a boisterous laugh "Hello ma cherie!"

The goddess was clearly unamused. "You meanie! You scared the heavenly lights out of me!"

She whacked him on the chest causing him to laugh even more.

"My apologies." He released his knees from the branch, landing gracefully on his feet. She rolled her eyes but then she noticed the young man's chose of footwear, and she burst out laughing.

"Wha- ahahaha What are you wearing? Hehehe" she was shaking with attempts to contain her amusement.

Waka looked down at his feet. Along with his long sleeved pink tunic and puffy purple trousers he was wearing bright red sandals with tall wedges attached to the bottom; he didn't get what was so funny.

"Would you care to explain to me what you find so funny?" the blond folded his arms over his chest.

Amaterasu giggled "Those shoes hehehe their so ridiculous hehe."

Waka rolled his eyes and smirked "Well I happen like them. And besides, they're rather useful.

It was Amaterasu's turn to fold her arms. "How do you figure that?"

"I bet I could beat you to the training grounds with these on."

The girl's eyes light up with the idea of competition. "Oh, you're so on!"

The moment he took the first stride Waka knew he wouldn't win, but he sprinted as fast as he could, laughing and calling after her.

* * *

"Amaterasu!"

The goddess turned to face her blond friend as he hurried towards her.

Panting slightly Waka flashed her a brilliant smile. "There you are mon ami. Where have you been all day?"

Amaterasu smiled sweetly at him. "Oh you know, here and there."

Waka tossed his golden ponytail over his shoulder and replied tauntingly. "Is that so? Anyway what time are we heading over to the party tonight? I know you're not fond of event such as that but it IS your birthday, you should at least attend for a little."

At this Amaterasu shuffled her feet, flowers blossoming up under her toes. Her head tipped down, peering up at him with guilty gold eyes. "Actually Waka, Sato asked me to go with him so…"

The seventeen year old's mouth opened slightly at the statement. Of course he hadn't asked Amaterasu to the party, he had just assumed they would be going together like always. The thought that somebody else would ask her had never occurred to him neither had the possibility that she would except.

The muscles in his jaw clenched but he put on a tight lipped smile. "Well that was- kind of him. I am sure you'll have a wonderful time together."

The goddess smiled meekly at him. "I'm glad you're not mad." The fluffy ears on the crown of her head stood tall again. "So who are you going with?"

"Hum?!" the question caught him off guard. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. "Um well, no one currently"

Amaterasu giggled sweetly. "You're so hopeless Waka. I'll set you up with someone, don't worry."

"N-no! That's not necessary!" but it was too late, the sliver haired girl had already run off.

Red faced and utterly embarrassed, Waka was alone yet again.

* * *

There was sharp wrapping on Waka's door. Before he answered it he looked himself once more over in the mirror. For the party he was dressed in a pink tunic that reached his knees, decorated along the hem and sleeves with red and gold markings. Beneath it he wore a pair of trousers that fell to his ankles, made of a darker purple than his usual pair. His feet were clad with white socks and red, un-stilted sandals. His long, gold hair hung limply down his back in a slick braid.(Done by Amaterasu after he had finished helping her get ready) Sighing, he turned away from his reflection and opened the door.

A pretty celestial girl stood in the doorway, almost glowing against the inky black of the night sky.

"Hello Waka." She tipped her head politely.

The girl's name was Tsuya. She had a heart shaped face with high cheek bones and large jade eyes with thick eyelashes. Her incredibly slim figure was covered by a lovely gold gown. Her long pale gold hair fluttered gently in the breeze created her wings.

"Good evening Tsuya. Are you ready to go?" Waka asked.

She nodded curtly and the two set off in the direction of the Sun Temple.

* * *

Waka sat slumped in a chair on the edge of the dance floor, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. A while ago Tsuya had left him to wander. A cough at his right caused him to turn his head.

Amaterasu stood next to him, dressed to the nine. She wore a dress of multiple layers of red and white satin. A red underdress hung loosely from her shoulders. A layer of white wrapped around her, starting at her bust and sweeping the floor. Another band of red was fastened to her waist. The sleeves brushed her knuckles. Her hair was woven into an incredibly intricate updo. It was pinned up in so many places, giving the hair the appearance of liquefied pearls, cascading down her the back of her neck and shoulders. Her nails and corners of her eyes were touched with glittering gold leaf. Her lips were painted a deep, cherry red.

She smiled warmly at him. "Hey."

"Bonsoir, ma cherie." He muttered dully.

"Are you as board as I am?"

The young man nodded, causing his blond braid to coil around itself.

A moment of heavy silence hang between them before Amaterasu said: "Hey, you wanna get out of here?"

Waka blinked up at her. "But- the party…"

The young goddess waved a gold nailed hand in dismissal. "No one's gonna miss me."

"Sato might."

"I doubt it." She pointed into the crowd. Sato was talking animatedly to the pretty Tsuya, who listened with rapt attention.

Waka felt a gently tug on his sleeve. "Come on let's GO!"

Allowing himself to be pulled from his seat, he and the goddess slipped silently through the crowd of Celestials and made their way out of the temple and into the moonlight drenched field. Chuckling like children, they ran through the midnight blue grass towards the tree line at the base of the mountain. They wound their way through the trees, making their way down the slopping bank of a small stream.

Waka pulled off his socks sandals and socks, digging his bare toes into the soft soil before stepping into the cool stream. The pair walked slowly through the water.

"Did you have any fun at your party, ma cherie?" Waka asked.

Amaterasu shrugged "It was alright, I would have had more fun if I went with you." She giggled sweetly "We didn't even get a chance to dance together."

Waka chucked "Next time ma cherie. You have my word."

They walked in silence for a while before Amaterasu stopped, head tipped upward to the sky.

"Do you ever miss your home Waka?" she asked serenely.

He followed her gaze to the glowing crescent moon, eyebrows pinching together slightly and squishing together the black dots on either side of the bridge of his nose. "I remember it very little, I can hardly consider it my home." He glanced side long at his companion, breathtakingly beautiful in the evening light. He turned his attention back to the sky before continuing "Besides, you were not there so…"

He looked back over at her, weighing her response. Her gold eyes were wide with surprise and the blush on her cheeks made it appear that her markings had bled across her porcelain skin.

He didn't remember consciously making the decision to move close to her, but he found his hands gently gripping her shoulders.

It was too late to turn back now.

Taking a last silent breath through his mouth Waka leaned in, closing the gap between them before he could change his mind. His lips just barely ghosted over her soft, painted ones.

He pulled back quickly, opening the eyes he hadn't realized he had closed. Amaterasu stood stiff as a board, amber eyes round and full of shock. She said nothing, made no response.

Heart crushing disappointment gripped the young man's chest. He cast his brilliant blue eyes down to the slow moving water of the stream. "Forgive me, ma cheire. That was rather inappropriate of m-mhff!?"

He was cut short by a pair of forceful lips on his own. It was his turn to stare wide eyed. Amaterasu gripped the front of his tunic tightly, bits of gold leaf flaking off her nails and sticking to the fabric. The look on her face could only be described as desperate; her dainty eyebrows drawn together tightly as she pressed her lips to his as hard as she could. Before he had a chance to respond the goddess leaned back, smiling brightly at him.

"You talk too much, you know."

Chucking nervously, Waka cracked a smile as well. "Hehe well y-"

For the second time that night the young prophet was silenced by the beautiful goddess' lips. The force of this second kiss knocked Waka off balance, sending the couple toppling into the water but neither of them really cared.

When they broke apart they stared silently into each other's eyes; luminescent blue boring into sparkling gold, until Amaterasu began to giggle. Waka joined in, their quite chuckling building and building until their laughter rang through the trees, light and beautiful on the night air.

* * *

Waka watched his lovely goddess pass beneath his favorite perch. With a devious smile playing across his pale lips the young prophet harnessed his power, disappearing in a puff of sparkles. Not even a moment had passed before he reappeared behind Amaterasu in another shimmering cloud.

He slid his arms around her waist "Good afternoon ma cheire!" his greeting was cheerful as he lept up and back, not giving the goddess time to respond.

The couple landed on the tree branch Waka had originally been seated on, hidden from view by the multitude of leaves.

Having gotten over her initial shock, Amaterasu giggled looking up at Waka with a sweet expression.

The two had been together for a few months now and nothing had really changed. They still spent all their time together, Waka still enjoyed messing with her and Amaterasu still teased him. The only thing that was really different was that they would find opportunities to sneak away, times when they could curl up together and watch the sun in silence or whisper sweet words to each other.

None of the other brush gods had had a real problem with their relationship, most likely because they had done a good job concealing it for a while. Their attempts turned out to be futile as they were found out by the flora gods who threated to tie Waka up with vines for "Defiling their little sister". But other than that her siblings were rather accepting of them being together, perhaps they had expected it.

Amaterasu adjusted herself on the branch, resting her head on Waka's shoulders. "Tell Waka what was so important that you had to steal me away from my walk?" her gold eyes sparkling with curiosity and affection.

Waka chuckled "Do I not always have a good reason for interrupting you?"

The goddess scrunched up her face. "Yes, you love to interrupt me for no reason."

"Ah, you wound me ma cheire. But I DO have a good reason for bothering you today."

"I never said it bothered me."

Waka flashed her a winning smile "I know. Anyway, don't you want to know what I want to show you?"

The young women nodded excitedly.

Waka produced his trusty flute from his sleeve and put it to his lips. His fingers move smoothly over the instrument as he played, creating the most lovely, otherworldly melody that the goddess had ever heard. Waka allowed himself to be wrapped up in the sound, losing himself completely until the notes stopped and the song drew to a close.

He opened his eyes, watching the clouds move serenely across the sky with Amaterasu.

"That was beautiful." The sun goddess said, not taking her eyes the mid-day sky.

Waka smiled absentmindedly "I'm glad you liked it, I wrote it for you."

His blue eyes drifted to her face. She had a soft, peaceful smile on her face.

"Thank you."

* * *

AHHHHH! Sorry this took me so long! Anyway, only one more chapter after this one. I can't believe it's almost finished, but not to worry I have lots of other idea ;D But what did you think of this chapter? As always constructive criticism is always welcome!


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